TTM Success - Mike Beard

I searched my "to be TTMed" box for a random player, and pulled this 1976 Topps Mike Beard card to send out.  I did, and was glad when it came back signed.  1976 Topps is an underrated set, and is full of some nice vintage uniforms, much like Beard's Braves jersey.  This is a really nice looking card.

Beard (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1974 to 1977 for the Braves.  He had a career record of 4-2 with 43 strike outs and a 3.74 ERA.

I mailed to Beard on January 27 and got the card back on February 7, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Clay Bellinger

These Clay Bellinger cards sat in my box for a long time, but I finally got around to mailing them out.  He returned them signed, and I was especially glad to get the above ProCards AAA signed, since it came out of a box of stuff my mom found in the attic.

I also had one of Bellinger's Topps cards in my collection, so I got it signed as well.

Bellinger (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 for the Yankees and Angels.  He had 60 hits, 12 home runs and a .193 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

I mailed to Bellinger on January 20 and got the cards back on February 7, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Hal Breeden

I waited a while to send these, for some reason, but I finally pulled the trigger and got these two cards signed TTM by Hal Breeden.  I think I waited because I thought maybe I had some more of his cards, but I never found them.  I was just happy to add a 1975 Topps to the album, since it has been a while since I got one signed.

I also got this 1973 Topps signed out of the lot I got from Conrad in South Carolina.  A while ago, I didn't have many signed 73s, but now I have a bunch, and I have Conrad to thank.

Breeden (b. 1944) played in the majors from 1971 to 1975 for the Cubs and Expos.  He had 148 hits, 21 home runs and a .243 batting average.

I mailed to Breeden on January 20 and got the cards back on February 6, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Austin Hedges

My TTM returns have come to a grinding halt as we all battle the Corona Virus.  That does help me get caught up on my backlog of TTMs that are sitting here waiting to be blogged, but I really would like it if more were coming in.

I was pleasantly surprised when this TTM success came back from Austin Hedges.  The above 2018 Topps turned out really well.  I love the action shot on a horizontal card.

I was also happy to get this 2019 Topps in.  Hedges has a pretty fat autograph, or the marker he used was a king size, but the cards are still signed and will still make it into my album.

Hedges (b. 1992) has played in the majors since 2015 for the Padres.  He was a 2dn round pick by the Padres in the 2011 June Amateur Draft.  He has 234 hits, 46 home runs and a .201 batting average.

I mailed to Hedges on February 6, 2019 via Padres Spring Training, and got the cards back signed on February 6, 2020, for a 365-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dermal Brown

I was able to get some cool prospects cards signed when I got this TTM success from Dermal Brown.  I had found the above 1999 Upper Deck SP Minors in a box at my LCS.  It turned out really well, and will look cool in my album.

I also found the above 1998 SP Minors (above, left) at the LCS and the above 1999 Topps (above, right) was one of mine.

Brown (b. 1978) is also known as Dee Brown.  He played in the majors from 1998 to 2004 and 2007 for the Royals and A's.  He had 190 hits, 14 home runs and a .233 batting average.

I mailed to Brown on January 6 and got the cards back on February 6, for a 31-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bob Bolin

I'm not the biggest fan of the Topps buyback cards, only because they're perfectly good vintage cards that I could possibly use in sets, but Topps insists on stamping them.  Yeah, I don't want that in a completed set, so I had a couple buybacks that I wanted to put to use.  I sent this 1966 Topps Bob Bolin buyback out for TTM, along with a plain 66 that I already owned, and got both signed by Bolin in blue ink pen.

Bolin (b. 1939) played in the majors from 1961 to 1973 for the Giants, Brewers and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 88-75 with 1,175 strike outs and a 3.40 ERA.

I mailed to Bolin on January 2 and got the cards back on February 6, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - Glen Cook

I took a card out of my box and got it signed with this TTM success from Glen Cook.  He signed my 86 Topps with a blue Sharpie, and it turned out well.

Cook (b. 1959) played in the majors in 1985 for the Rangers.  He went 2-3 with 19 strike outs and a 9.45ERA.

I mailed to Cook on January 27 and got my card back signed on February 4, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dave Von Ohlen

I was bored one day, and I checked a few guys I needed for my 87 set to see if I could find a way to get some cards signed.  One of them, Dave Von Ohlen, had signed through some private signings with a registered user on SCN, but he hadn't done so in a few years.  I reached out to the guy, and it turns out that he works with Von Ohlen and organized signings on occasion.  Since I reached out, the guy offered to get the two cards I needed done for a fee of $10.00 a card.  I got both cards back; one of them was the 87 Topps A's leaders card that was subsequently sent out to a Carney Lansford signing.

Von Ohlen (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1983 to 1987 for the Cardinals, Indians and A's.  He had a career record of 7-7 with 59 strike outs and a 3.33 ERA.

I mailed to the signing on January 3 and got the cards back on February 4, for a 32-day TAT.

TTM Success - Taylor Ward

I was able to get some cards out of my prospects box and get them signed recently with this TTM success from Taylor Ward.  I have slowed down on getting 2017 Pro Debut signed, but I have also whittled the bulk stack of those cards down, so it is nice to pull a few more away.

Ward also signed these 4 cards; a 2014 Panini USA (top right), a 2015 Panini Stars & Stripes (top left), a 2019 Bowman (bottom left) and a 2019 Heritage Minors (bottom right).

Ward (b. 1993) has played in the majors for the Angels since 2018.  He has 32 hits, 7 home runs and a .181 batting average.

He was a first round pick (26th overall) by the Angels in the 2015 June Amateur Draft.

I mailed to Ward on January 6 and got the cards back on February 4, for a 29-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nick Lodolo

I was able to get a few cards from 2019 Bowman Draft signed with this TTM success from Nick Lodolo.  The above Draft Progression card turned out well, and I might be able to get Hunter Greene and Jonathan India, as well.

I also got the base and chrome refractor cards signed.  Lodolo has a nice signature.

Lodolo (b. 1998) was a First Round (41st overall) draft pick by the Pirates in the 2016 June Amateur Draft, but didn't sign.  He went on to TCU and was a First Round (7th overall) pick by the Reds in the 2019 June Amateur Draft.  He pitched to a record of 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 30 strike outs between Rookie Level Billings and A Dayton during the 2019 season.

I mailed to Lodolo on December 27 and got the cards back on February 4, for a 39-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dave Tobik

Here are some cool early 80s cards that I was able to get out of my boxes (especially this 1983 Fleer that had been hanging out in a box which is at the bottom of my stack of boxes) and signed by Dave Tobik.

Tobik signed the cards in blue Sharpie, and the signatures look really nice.

Tobik (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1978 to 1985 for the Tigers, Rangers and Mariners.  He had a career record of 14-23 with 256 strike outs and a 3.70 ERA.

I mailed to Tobik on January 20 and got the cards back on February 3, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Terry Humphrey

Here are some 70s cards that I got signed by Terry Humphrey TTM.  The cards all turned out really well, like the above 1979 Topps.

Humphrey signed cards from 1972, 1973, 1978 and 1979 for me.  I had started with his 73, which came in one of the boxes I got from Conrad in SC, and the rest were found through some trips through my boxes here and there.

Humphrey (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1971 to 1979 for the Expos, Tigers and Angels.  He had 223 hits, 6 home runs and a .211 batting average.

I mailed to Humphrey on January 20 and got the cards back on February 3, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bob Sykes

I added some nice early 80s cards to my album with this TTM success from Bob Sykes.  I especially liked the above 1982 Fleer, because I didn't have many in my collection.

He also signed a 1980 and 1981 Topps, but the Sharpie looks like it is dying out.  Still, the cards are fine with me, and I'm glad to have them.

Sykes (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1977 to 1981 for the Tigers and Cardinals.  He had a career record of 23-26 with 215 strike outs and a 4.65 ERA.

I mailed to Sykes on December 3 and got the cards back on February 3, for a 62-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt Olson

I had forgotten I sent this TTM request out last year, so when it came back a few weeks ago, I was very excited.  I've been working on the 2010 Bowman USA et for a while, and was so excited to be able to cross Matt Olson off of the list.  I had bought a bunch of the USA cards in bulk from a dime box at the 2011 National (my first one), and have seen a few of the players become stars (Alex Bregman, Olson, Albert Almora).  I'm glad Ryan talked me into getting the lot.

Olson has two First Bowman cards, it seems, as this 2012 Bowman has 1st Bowman printed on the front.  I guess they forgot he was in that USA set.

Olson (b. 1994) has played in the majors since 2016 (all for the A's).  He has 323 hits, 89 home runs and a .254 batting average.  He finished 4th in the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year voting (after only playing in 59 games).  He won the Gold Glove Award in 2018 and 2019, and finished 21st in the 2019 AL MVP voting.

I mailed to Olson on February 12, 2019, via A's Spring Training and got the cards back signed on February 3, 2020, for a 356-day TAT.

TTM Success - Justin Masterson

I added some really cool cards to my autograph album with this TTM success from Justin Masterson.  I had a ton of his cards in my box, and it was tough choosing what to send him.  The above 2014 Topps mini gold definitely had to be sent, and I love how it looks.  The card is numbered 18/63.

I had Masterson's 2006 Bowman Chrome card in my rookies box for a long time.  I was glad to get it out of there and signed.  Same with his 2008 Topps Heritage RC.

Finally, here are a couple Topps cards that came back, a 2012 Topps (top) and 2014 Topps green parallel (bottom).

Masterson (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2008 to 2015 for the Red Sox, Indians and Cardinals.  He had a career record of 64-74 with 1,004 strike outs and a 4.31 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2013.

I mailed to Masterson on October 22 and got the cards back on February 1, for a 102-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dave Lemanczyk

I moved some cards out of my box that had been waiting for me to send for a while.  A long time ago, I went through my 1981 Topps cards and pulled guys who I saw that were signing TTM, and slowly, I gathered up other cards of theirs to send along with the 81s.  A lot of those guys kind of sat in the box until I got around to mailing, and Dave Lemanczyk was one of those.

I was able to find his 1979 (left) and 1980 (right) Topps cards, and they all turned out well.

Lemanczyk (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1973 to 1980 for the Tigers, Blue Jays and Angels.  He had a 37-63 record, 429 strike outs and a 4.62 ERA.

I mailed to Lemanczyk on October 23 and got the cards back on February 1, for a 101-day TAT.

Some Cards From Dugan

It took him a while, but my good friend, Dugan, sent me back cards that he had tried to get signed for me last season, and added a couple nice cards in the process.

I love the deckle edge Ryan Mountcastle card from 2018 Heritage.

The above Richie Martin patch auto from Leaf Trinity was really nice.  I didn't know this card existed.

Finally, Dugan was able to get two of the cards I sent to him signed.  Rain cut his trip short, or he would have been able to get a couple Columbia Fireflies done for me.  Oh well, I appreciate the effort.

Thanks so much for the cards, Dugan.

Spring Training Autos From Gerard

Before the world ended, my friend, Gerard was able to get a few autos from Spring Training.  He had gotten to Florida right when things with the Corona Virus were just taking hold.  The Orioles and Twins had just enacted "No Fan Interaction" policies and were tossing pre-signed baseballs into the stands.

Gerard had much better luck with the Pirates minor leaguers that he saw, so thankfully, all of the work I put into getting cards together for him wasn't completely in vain.

The above 2019 Bowman Chrome sparkle parallel of Travis Swaggerty made my day when I saw it.  I pulled it out of a pack and was afraid I wouldn't be able to get it signed.  It looks really cool, and I am so glad Gerard nailed this one.

This 2018 Bowman Sterling insert of Swaggerty also turned out well.  This was another card that I kept seeing in my box, but I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get signed.

Gerard was able to get every Swaggerty that I sent signed.  He was able to keep a good many for himself, as well.

Gerard was able to hit almost every Pirates prospect that I had sent, with the exception of maybe 3 or 4 guys.  I was especially happy to get some of the Sally League all star and top prospect set cards done, as once those guys have passed through the Carolinas, I have a hard time seeing them.

I had a ton of Conner Uselton.  Gerard got every one of them done.  I like the three above because they look like one of those puzzle images where you have to find the differences in each photo.

Gerard struck out on the Orioles when he saw them, with the exception of soon-to-be Norfolk coach, Sean Berry.  I had been stockpiling Berry cards ever since he was named to Norfolk's coaching staff.  I was glad to get some of these out of my box, for sure.

This 1995 Topps of Sean Berry turned out nicely.

Finally, Gerard hooked me up with a baseball that he signed himself, including a coronavirus hashtag.  I might look back on this ball some day and it could be a pretty huge historical event.  Especially if the season is delayed any farther.

The ticket was from Adley Rutschmann's first Spring hit, I believe.  Gerard told me, but I forgot what he said.

Thanks so much for the autos, Gerard.  I hope you used enough hand sanitizer and are able to get back home safely.

TTM Success - Joe Strain

I got some cards out of my "to be TTMed" box that had been in there for a while.  I sent four cards to Joe Strain.  The above 1981 Topps Traded really looks sharp.  I've said it a lot, but the 1981 set is a really nice set.  I believe 1981 is the set that I have the second most signed card of.  I'm in no way pursuing that set, but I definitely would have a head start if I was.

The above 1980 and 1982 Topps turned out well.  I have a bunch of signed 1980s, as well.  That would also be a good set to take a look at, since that is my birth year.

Finally, I got this 1979 Topps Giants rookies card signed.  I don't think I am going to try to complete the card, as I haven't looked up the other two guys.

Strain (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1979 to 1981 for the Giants and Cubs.  He had 130 hits, 1 home run and a .250 batting average.

I mailed to Strain on January 6 and got the cards back on February 1, for a 26-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ken Williams

Here are some nice late 80s cards that I got back signed from Ken William.  The above 1988 Score is really nice.  That is a pretty good year of cards if you like bright, bold colors on your borders.

Actually, every card I picked of Williams was pretty bold in color.  A lot of blue on this post.  The 1987 Fleer Update and 1988 Donruss both look really cool when signed.

Williams (b. 1964) played in the majors from 1986 to 1991 for the White Sox, Tigers, Blue Jays and Expos.  He had 252 hits, 27 home runs and a .218 batting average.

I mailed to Williams on May 9, 2019, and got the cards back on February 1, 2020, for a 268-day TAT.

TTM Success - Enos Cabell

I added cards to two different sets by answering a signing with Enos Cabell.  I knew I needed Cabell for my 1987 Topps set, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that he was a former Oriole and he had a card in the 1991 Crown set.

Cabell has a great signature, and it showed up very well on both cards.  I was happy with how sharp that 1987 Topps looked.

Cabell (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1972 to 1986 for the Orioles, Astros, Giants, Tigers and Dodgers.  He had 1,647 hits, 60 home runs and a .277 batting average.  His best MVP finish was 22nd in 1978 (NL).  Strangely, though, for someone who had as long a career as he had, Cabell never appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot.

I mailed to the private signing on January 3 and got the cards back signed on January 31, for a 28-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00/card.

TTM Success - Bobby Grich

I added some nice cards of a former Oriole to my album with this TTM success from Bobby Grich.  I wanted to make sure I got the above 1991 Crown Orioles card done when I sent to him, and it turned out really well.

I also sent these (1973 Topps, 1981 Topps and 1987 Topps) cards that I had been sitting on for a long time, and finally got around to sending.

Grich (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1970 to 1986 for the Orioles and Angels.  He had 1,833 hits, 224 home runs and a .266 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1972, 1976, 1979, 1980 and 1982.  His best MVP finish was 8th in 1979.  He was a 4-time Gold Glove Award winner (1973 to 1976) and a Silver Slugger Award winner (1981).  He was tied with three other players (Tony Armas, Dwight Evans and Eddie Murray) for the AL Lead in home runs in 1981 (22).  He was on the 1992 Hall of Fame ballot, but only received 2.6% of the vote.

I mailed to Grich on October 28 and got the cards back on January 31, for a 95-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.